ELECTION 2012

Democrats want change in Obama's message

'Voters are not convinced that we are headed in the right direction'

(POLITICO) — Six months ago, President Barack Obama flew to Osawatomie, Kan., to give a speech embracing “a fair shot” for all Americans.

Thursday, he’ll head to Cleveland for another speech, trying to lay out his economic vision again.

The big campaign speech is the latest attempt to get people talking about the president’s message. The problem is, more and more Democrats say that message isn’t working.

Twenty years after James Carville’s “It’s the economy, stupid,” he and pollsters Stanley Greenberg and Erica Seifert have put on paper what many in their party have been privately grumbling about for months: It’s still the economy, stupid. And, they say, Obama talking about how a lousy economy is getting better isn’t doing him any favors with the American people or moving him closer to victory in November.